


written in the stars

by ser_atlantisite



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Other, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, juno and rita are platonic soulmates. now with proof!, now with a juno and rita dedicated chapter!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26487103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ser_atlantisite/pseuds/ser_atlantisite
Summary: Juno Steel's soulmate is platonic, his best friend.Peter Nureyev doesn't have one.You could almost say they were meant to be, couldn't you.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel, Rita & Juno Steel
Comments: 15
Kudos: 124





	1. Chapter 1

RITA! was Juno Steel's soulmate, inexplicable exclamation point and all. Everyone who knew them knew this. Rita liked to talk and Juno, well Juno hadn't bothered covering up his soul mark since she'd walked out with him from the HCPD. On good days he even wore shorter sleeves to show off her name on his wrist. Rita of course had taken to wearing her bracelets on only her other wrist, but that left her feeling horribly unbalanced so she'd started wearing rings, but those got all gummed up with the powder off her snacks, so the she tried temporary tattoos but the ink was just impossible to get out of the synth wood grain...

Rex Glass learned all of this in the long minutes he stood at Rita's desk, after he commented on her lovely bracelets.

In the long ride to the Kanagawa's mansion he made a passive comment about old stereotypes, of wives running their spouse's businedd. Juno just rolled his eyes like it was a joke he'd heard a million times and he was sick to death of it. And he said they were platonic soul mates, not that it was any of Rex's business, and he said it like it was old news, like that alone didn't bring a cheshire grin to Rex's face, thoughts of Juno's lovely behind floating back into his head. The detective was cute enough, and they were so much easier to charm when the name on their wrist wasn't weighing them down, and they were easier to rob when they were charmed...

And then the case was over, and Rex found himself cast aside for the man beneath the mask, and he didn't know when that happened. Because Peter Nureyev didn't have a soul mate. His wrist was just as bare as his own identity, and that was perfect for him. No one to tie him down, no one New Kinshasa could endanger, no fate waiting for him but his own choices.

And here was Juno. Lovely, brilliant, morally outraged Juno. Who had just earned his place on a very short list of people who had ever outsmarted Peter. Who had kept perfect pace with him all evening. Who had no romantic fate written out for him but the one he chose.

He didn't have Peter's true name written on his wrist, but he could still have it for safe keeping.  
If Peter could just reach his stupid pen.

* * *

"Stop picking at your arm."

"What?"

Juno hadn't realized there was a deep burning itch in his forearm until Big-Guy-Brown-Jacket pointed it out to him. Twenty minutes later, when the itch was still there and it was starting to drive him up the bunker walls, he sat on his hands.

"This place is a goddamn clinic, right? Think Hanataba left any lotion in here?"

The big guy went to look for him, over protective nurse that he was. Unattended, Juno gave in to scratching again.

"Hey Big Guy, what were the side effects of that weird sugar again? Anything about rash...es..."

He stared at the spot on his arm he couldn't leave alone. At the fresh golden ink forming on his wrist. Under Rita's name. In that overly formal scrawl he had memorized a hundred times over, from a note folded and worn a thousand times over and kept in his most secure jacket pocket, next to his...heart.

Peter Nureyev.

His soulmate was Peter Nureyev.

"Do you have a new soulmark, Juno?"

He jumped and clutched his wrist to his chest. It was unfair a man so large could move so silently.

"H-how did you...?"

"You are rather unobservant I've noticed, and I've spent years practising walking so that-"

"Know it was a soulmark, you jerk. And I'm plenty observant."

"The soul has to be ready for its mate, this is well known. Your original partner has been with you through the last twenty years, and from what you have told me you were great supports for each other. You needed each other. But you have recently undergone a major spiritual journey-"

"Idunno if I'd say it that way--"

"And so it stands to reason that your soul would reflect this change. That you are now ready to meet your third half."

"Fourth half," Juno murmured, running his fingers over his Benzaiten tattoo, its faded mortal ink. He let his hand drift back to the raised golden signature, fresh on his skin. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. "How can I only just be ready for him? How the hell can that even happen?"

"I believe it. It has only been a few days, but already I can see the effort you are beginning to make. This is great progress for you."

Juno let slip a sob, pulling Peter closer to his heart. "But what if I've already met and lost him?"

"Juno-"

"No, not lost." He laughed bitterly. "Thrown him away."

The Big Guy didn't cuss him out, or look at him with rage or disgust. He simply sat there, watching Juno as impassively as ever.

And when Juno burst into tears, he still watched silently, only held out a hand.

So Juno took it, and when he could speak again, he told a story.

* * *

Peter had wanted nothing more than to stay. But that was hours ago and right now, he wanted nothing more than to know what rash he could have possibly gotten at Miss Zolatovna's ball. The price of picking the pockets of the rich at parties, he mused. Rich gains but they coated themselves in all manner of experimental perfumes and ointments. He'd need to invest in longer gloves next time.

But when he turned the light on to find his lotion he saw the mark forming on his wrist.

Well, the glimmer of it, first. It blended rather well with the brown of his skin. But now that he had seen it, he couldn't un-see it.

No matter how it made his stomach clench, overwhelmed with anger.

He turned off the light and pulled a pillow over his face.

It was two hours staring into the darkness before he relented.

He couldn't quite turn the light back on, couldn't face it directly. But the gold ink glimmered in the starlight of his room.

Peter remembered the script on Rita's wrist, the loops of the signature, sharp and hurried. The letters were the same but different. Same hand, just penned on a different day. The same, but unique. His and only his.

Juno Steel was his soulmate.

Juno Steel, who'd danced with him and smiled at him and held him. Who'd spent two days trying to apologize. And asked for nothing in return.

Who'd taken to covering his wrist again since Peter had last seen him.

He knew. He'd changed since he'd left Peter, and somehow the old wives tales was real and Juno had known before him and hadn't said any words but "I'm sorry".

If Peter took a few long minutes to cry, no one had to know.

And if Peter kissed the name on the inside of his wrist, of the soulmate he was finally ready for, of the love of his life, no one had to know that either.

But maybe he'd consider telling Juno that.

Someday.


	2. tools of rust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> not that Rita can't handle herself, but there's no way Juno wasn't terrified, stuck on the Carte Blanche waiting for her and Jet to outrun dark matters maybe in a haunted car he doesn't even really like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also yes the Carte Blanche IS a firefly class space ship no i will not be swayed on this

He had snapped at peter.

If there was any room left in his head, he would fret and apologize for it, but right now he was out of spoons.

Rita was in trouble.

She'd left the ship - why the hell had those two left the ship - and she'd run right into M'tendere - _he_ was supposed to be finding them why the hell hadn't he how had he messed that up - and they not only stranded those three there but Vespa had totalled the car and the goddamn Ruby-bane-of-his-existence-Seven had LEFT and now all he could do was stand in the garage and stare at the hatch and pray to any god that hadn't forsaken him that she'd be okay but when had praying ever done anything for him huh Steel when hadn't life kicked him in the goddamn teeth and said-

Long, warm fingers wrapped around Juno's hand. He startled, but didn't pull away. Peter had stormed out of the room - when the hell had he come back?

"Don't you dare tell me everything is going to be okay," he snarled.

"I wont," Peter said quietly. With his other hand and a flick of the wrist he spread a blanket on the second last step of the stairs. "But I, well I thought I'd wait with you. If, if you'll let me."

Picture perfect Peter Nureyev was still scuffed and scratched and scorched. And bleeding just a little. But he was looking at Juno resolutely, straight spine and a nervous crease to his brow.

The steps weren't quite wide enough for them both, shoulder to shoulder, but they managed to squeeze together, Peter rubbing Juno's shoulder. His other hand twined with Juno's, cradling it as Juno rolled down the sleeve to stare at his soul mark. His hands were still shaking though and he slipped and, and Peter's breath hitched at the sight of his own name there. And he was so, so sorry Peter. The thief deserved a grand reveal and a declaration of true love but Juno didn't have the head space and Peter didn't ask. Just kept his pressure at Juno's back.

Juno brushed Rita's name, and he felt her. The music of her soul, the frantic hum of her thoughts. Alive.

Alive alive _alive_.

He held onto that. Clutched at his wrist hard. For how long, he didn't know.

Neither of them moved or said anything while they waited together.

Then - a bolt of fear stabbed through Rita and ricocheted into his heart. And he choked out a sob and Peter folded him into a crushing hug but he still had to just _fucking sit there waiting._

It was eternity before the bay door began to open.

Peter smartly kept his grip on Juno. The winds of Neptune were whipping and the Ruby came skidding in and Juno would have foolishly leapt into its path in his hurry. But as soon as the car slowed he wrenched himself from the thief's grip.

And he was met halfway by a Rita who had thrown her door open and jumped straight into her soulmate's arms, sobbing. They collapsed together to the floor, Juno rocking her. And when Jet emerged, holding a still form, Rita tried to cover his eye and sobbed "don't look Mistah Steel please don't look" so he buried his face in her shoulder.

Eventually he bundled her up in his coat and they limped off to her room.

Eventually, from under her blankets, she quieted the random stream he'd put on (with much swearing from him and a quiet giggle from her).

Eventually, curled up safe with her best friend, she sniffled and said, "I was so worried about us havin' to hurt people, I'd forgot plenty of others thing out there hurt people too."

"I'm so sorry I brought you out here Rita."

"I said I wanted to come didn't I?" She sighed, but in a quiet, sad voice. "And we tried to help them. If we hadn't been out here they woudda been all alone and..." And she had trailed off and started crying again.

Eventually, she asked him how he dealt with losing people. And then she remembered exactly how he dealt with losing people, and admitted maybe he'd had a point being so cranky and sad all these years. But they would have to come up with some new way to deal with these sad feeling, together. Because he had promised he would and she couldn't pull off the hardened P.I. thing though she might still want her own trench coat and hat because they looked so cool.

Eventually she'd work up the nerve to find Jet and drag him into their cuddle puddle together because he could use it too, and it wasn't his fault.

Eventually.

Once they had each calmed down enough they could stop feeling the others heart beat across their souls.

**Author's Note:**

> yes i know peter has a LOT more work to do than just admitting he wants to stay but its a big first step
> 
> i always intend to make my fics full and involved but this is short and artsy and to the point, and i like reading others' short artsy fics so. thanks for readin


End file.
